"Hedgehog Cactus, Desert Botanical Garden"

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Dyana Hesson
"Hedgehog Cactus, Desert Botanical Garden"
2019

About the Item

"The first cactus blooms I ever painted were of a hedgehog cactus (echinocereus) from the March 1990 cover of Arizona Highways Magazine. I was a painting major at Arizona State University, under the instruction of Henry Schoebel. Still new to Arizona and lacking good source photos from which to paint, I turned to the pages of Arizona Highways for inspiration. I did a fair job, and it was one of the first paintings I ever sold ($200, I think). Ironically, although I have painted many cactus blooms since, I have not returned to the hedgehog until now. They are pretty intimidating, with their saturated hues and spines galore, but this beauty caught my eye at the Desert Botanical Garden last April, and I could not ignore it. when I began, I painted a muted gray in the background, but it just did not seem right. After all, this piece will be part of my 'Chasing Blue' show, based on the fact that I love the things found under a blue sky. So, I covered the gray (no pun intended). If you look at the piece up close, you can see evidence of that choice. And, when you think about it, looking at the bright side is a choice, which is a good reminder. It's interesting that the orientation of the cactus bloom in the AZ Highways cover and my painting are both in profile. Maybe when you see this piece at my show, you can take your profile photo with it and show your best side too." Dyana Hesson refers to herself as a botanical artist. She was born in 1966 in the Gold Country of California where she was happiest outdoors. Her weekends were spent with trips to the local nursery and planting and weeding the natural landscaping of her family home. When she was twelve, her father gave her a camera. She began photographing all that was interesting to her; the trees, the landscape, and the flowers. After a short stay in Southern California where she met and married her husband in 1985, she moved to Arizona. Although the climate and landscape differed drastically from that of Northern California, her inspiration did not. Dyana became interested in painting as a way to express things that she could not with a camera. She chose oil as her medium because it possessed a fluid quality perfect for the subjects she was painting. She began to experiment with thin layers of carefully blended paint, and the results were luminous. She finished her degree in Art at Arizona State University in 1991. "It is a privilege and a pleasure to be an artist in today’s world. A pleasure because I get to wake every morning and do what I love, and pour my soul into creating something beautiful. A Privilege, because with creating comes responsibility. My desire is to create a safe place where you eyes can land and rest for a while. It has been said that only two things can pierce our hearts: beauty and affliction. And if this is so, we need a measure of beauty in our lives in equal proportion to our affliction. My unspoken agreement with my collectors and my fans is that I will always bring my best to you, I will work hard to bring a measure of beauty to your world with all the ability that God has given me." Dyana lives in Mesa, Arizona with her husband, daughter, and Jack Russell Terrier, Boon.

Creator:
Dyana Hesson (American)
Creation Year:
2019
Dimensions:
Height: 48 in (121.92 cm)Width: 36 in (91.44 cm)
Medium:
Oil
Movement & Style:
Photorealist
Period:
2010-
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Scottsdale, AZ
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU18424204622